No, America's Military Is Not Getting Passed By Russia And China

China's leaders will announce this year's defense expenditure Tuesday, and if it's anything like last year (a rise of 11 percent), it'll be more growth; and Russia plans on spending an extra $755 billion over the next ten years.

Though the Pentagon plans to make $600 billion in cuts over the same period, Chinese and Russian spending increases don't mean the end of U.S. dominance.

America still spends much, much more than anyone, with $711 billion in military expenditures last year, compared to $143 billion in China and $72 billion in Russia.

(President Vladimir Putin) singled out the US ballistic missile shield programme, as well as the possibility of further Nato expansion and the attempts to militarise the Arctic, as key geopolitical threats that Russia needed to respond to.

One especially feisty and widely quoted military commentator, Gen. Luo Yuan, wrote on his microblog recently that wasting funds on expensive cars and flashy but useless projects would ultimately be the PLA's downfall.

"Units that waste money on projects to boost their image and reputation, or that quest for the grandiose and exotic, are in fact frittering away our combat effectiveness," Luo wrote.

Meanwhile it looks like House Republicans are scrambling to pass a continuing resolution to fund the military as is until March 27, in the hopes cuts can be agreed upon. The resolution would restore $7 billion to the Pentagon's kitty.